Following Black Knight Football Club and American billionaire Bill Foley’s takeover of Exeter Chiefs, PREM Rugby continues to attract serious international investment.
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It is the latest sign of growing confidence in the English game and could be far from the last, especially after Champ side Cornish Pirates secured fresh American backing today.
From energy drink empires to finance moguls, here are the five richest owners currently shaping the future of PREM Rugby.
5 Simon Orange
- Nationality: British
- Net worth: £1.25 billion
- Rugby CV: Co-owner, Sale Sharks
For Simon Orange, rugby is both a local passion and a family commitment. The Sale Sharks co-owner recently saw his wealth rise sharply after selling a majority stake in his investment firm, Corpacq, in a deal worth more than £1 billion.
The buyer was private equity firm TDR Capital, which acquired the business Orange founded and chaired in 2006.
Based in Altrincham, Corpacq invests in small and medium sized British businesses, particularly across the industrial and services sectors.
Away from finance, Orange has become a prominent figure in rugby since acquiring Sale Sharks in 2016 alongside his wife Michelle.
He is also frequently linked in the media to his brother, former Take That member Jason Orange.
